December 10, 2025 – Market research firm IDC released a blog post yesterday (December 9) predicting that the global foldable smartphone market is set for explosive growth in 2026, driven by Apple’s debut foldable iPhone and Samsung’s triple-fold device. The year is expected to see a 30% year-on-year surge in shipments, marking a significant turning point for the segment.
IDC forecasts that global foldable smartphone shipments will reach 20.6 million units in 2025, up 10% from the previous year. However, 2026 will be the real inflection point, with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for foldables projected to stay at 17% through 2029—far outpacing the less-than-1% growth of traditional smartphones. By then, foldables are expected to account for over 10% of the smartphone market’s total value.
Before Apple enters the fray, Android manufacturers have been keeping the market hot with continuous innovation. Nabila Popal, senior research director of IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, noted that Samsung plans to aggressively promote its Galaxy Z Trifold in early 2026, aiming to bring triple-fold technology to mainstream consumers globally after the success of the Galaxy Z Fold7 in 2025.
Meanwhile, Huawei is also poised for strong growth with its HarmonyOS Next-powered foldable devices, with shipments expected to double in 2026.
The real shake-up in the industry landscape will occur by the end of 2026. IDC predicts that Apple’s entry into the foldable market will rapidly reshape the competitive landscape, with its first foldable iPhone capturing over 22% of unit market share in its launch year.
What’s even more striking is that, thanks to an expected average selling price (ASP) of $2,400, Apple could capture 34% of the entire foldable market’s revenue. Francisco Jeronimo, IDC’s vice president of client devices, believes Apple’s involvement will be a watershed moment for the category, significantly boosting consumer interest and driving mainstream adoption.
Faced with prolonged replacement cycles and a stagnating traditional smartphone market, manufacturers urgently need substantial innovation to drive upgrades. IDC analysts argue that foldable and even triple-fold devices have become critical for breaking the industry deadlock.
While foldables will remain a niche market in terms of shipment volume for the foreseeable future, their ASP is three times that of standard smartphones. For most players in the space, foldables will serve as a vital value driver rather than just a volume contributor.
